Mumbai, May 7 (PTI) At 4 PM, a siren blared at Cross Maidan in south Mumbai amid heavy rain, setting off a flurry of activity as part of a mock drill simulating an air strike, and teams of civil defence, fire brigade, and paramedics rushing to save the "injured".
Organised under Operation Abhyas, the exercise involved coordinated efforts from multiple emergency response teams.
The mock drill began with the sound of a siren, signalling a simulated bombardment on a building. Three explosions were depicted, leading to a fire.
Volunteers present at the site took shelter in a nearby safe zone and were instructed to remain there until the Civil Defence issued an all-clear signal. Alert Civil Defence volunteers, upon hearing the sirens, rushed to the scene and immediately began rescue operations.
An Incident Control Officer (ICO), along with a reconnaissance team, arrived to assess the situation, including checking for any radiation or evidence of a dirty bomb being used in the simulated strike. The area was quickly cordoned off, and rescue operations commenced.
Soon after, fire department personnel joined the effort to extinguish the blaze. The drill portrayed casualties, with "injured" individuals being rushed to Bombay Hospital and Nair Hospital.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also arrived, including their specialised unit trained to handle CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) threats.
One of the key scenes showed individuals trapped in a four-storey building being rescued by personnel from the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Civil Defence, and the fire brigade.
Despite heavy rainfall, trained volunteers from Civil Defence, Home Guards, NCC, and NSS performed their duties with dedication alongside official rescue agencies.
Speaking to the media after the drill, Civil Defence Director Prabhat Kumar explained that the exercise was conducted under "Operation Abhyas."
He noted that several agencies, including the district administration, BMC, fire brigade, NDRF, Home Guards, NCC, NSS, and paramedic staff, participated in the exercise.
He stated that the mock drill simulated a rescue operation following a "bomb attack" on a building by the enemy, involving a coordinated multi-agency response to evacuate those trapped and transport the injured to hospitals swiftly.